Remnant Recap

• Pastor fired: 2819 Church dismissed Associate Pastor Kenneth McFarland after his arrest for second-degree cruelty to children.

• Allegations confirmed by school and police: A Christian school principal reported blood on the teen’s clothing, and officers documented bruising consistent with being struck by an extension cord.

• Church acted quickly: Leadership suspended McFarland immediately, supported his wife, and removed him from staff after reviewing the facts.

Atlanta pastor Kenneth McFarland arrested for child cruelty after 'beating stepson with power cord until he bled'.

McFarland has stepped down as associate pastor of Atlanta megachurch 2819 following his arrest. pic.twitter.com/zRP317UPle

— Everything Georgia (@GAFollowers) November 22, 2025

The 2819 Church in Atlanta moved quickly and decisively after Associate Pastor Kenneth McFarland was arrested for allegedly beating his 15-year-old stepson with an extension cord. Once leadership learned of the charges, they immediately suspended him, reached out to support his wife, and ultimately terminated McFarland after verifying the details.

A 42 y/o associate pastor at Atlanta’s 2819 Church, Kenneth McFarland, was arrested on child-cruelty charges after authorities said he allegedly used a gaming system’s extension cord to discipline a teenager. pic.twitter.com/MSCoQIELmv

— Everything Georgia (@GAFollowers) November 24, 2025

Police reported visible injuries to the teen, prompting the school to alert authorities. This is the kind of painful situation no church wants to face, but accountability matters. Protecting children, addressing abuse swiftly, and refusing to tolerate misconduct in leadership are essential to maintaining trust and integrity in any faith community.

Official Statement | Part 1#OfficialStatement#2819Church pic.twitter.com/2HMTIiA5lu

— 2819 Church (@2819Church) November 20, 2025

Christian Post reports:

The fast-growing 6,000-member 2819 Church in Atlanta, Georgia, has fired Associate Pastor Kenneth McFarland after he was charged with second-degree cruelty to children for allegedly beating his 15-year-old stepson with an extension cord over an in-school suspension.

“Last week, church leadership learned that Kenneth McFarland was arrested and charged with a serious crime involving the physical harm of a child in his family.

…

“Based on the information that we were able to gather and verify, we made the decision to dismiss Kenneth McFarland from our staff as of Tuesday, November 18th.”

Officers were dispatched to 2455 Mount Carmel Road in Hampton, Georgia, about a reported child abuse incident, according to a report from the Stockbridge Police Department.

…

Officers responding to the report at the school said Gwyn told them that McFarland’s son had in-school suspension. When the assistant principal entered the room where the student was serving the suspension, he said the student asked him “if there was blood on the back of his pants.”

“Mr. Gwyn observed a blood stain on Mr. [redacted]’s pants and inquired about the cause. [Redacted] stated, ‘my dad called himself disciplining me.’ When asked what he was hit with, [redacted] replied that he was struck with an extension cord,” the report said.

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Photo credit: Everything Georgia X Post